(born 25 April 1950) is a
Kabuki
is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...
actor and the most popular and celebrated ''
onnagata
, also , are male actors who play female roles in kabuki theatre. It originated in 1629 after women were banned from performing in kabuki performances. There are many specific techniques that actors must learn to master the role of ''onnagata'' ...
'' (an actor specializing in female roles) currently on stage. He has also acted in several films.
Life and career
Born in 1950, Shin'ichi Morita was adopted by
Morita Kan'ya XIV and made his first appearance on stage at the age of seven under the name Bandō Kinoji. At a ''
shūmei'' (naming ceremony) in 1964, he became the fifth to take the name Bandō Tamasaburō; his adoptive father had been the fourth.
Like all Kabuki actors, Tamasaburō has devoted his life to the theater from a very young age. By 1975, when Morita Kan'ya XIV died, Tamasaburō had already performed in countless plays, many of them alongside his adoptive father and other noteworthy actors such as
Ichikawa Danjūrō XII. Since then, he has continued to perform not only in numerous plays at the
Kabuki-za in Tokyo but in many other venues. He took part in an American tour in 1985, performing at New York's
Metropolitan Opera House, the
Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...
in Washington, D.C., and in Los Angeles. He first performed in Paris the following year.
In 1993, he directed the film ''
Yearning'', which was entered into the
43rd Berlin International Film Festival.
wrote the lyrics of his dance production "Yokihi" which is based on the Chinese historical figure Princess Yang Kwei-Fei. In 1993,
Baku Yumemakura wrote specially for Kabuki ''Sangoku denrai genjyou banashi''. Both of "Yokihi" and ''Sangoku denrai genjyou banashi'' were performed at The
Kabuki-za Theater.
Tamasaburō has also appeared in a number of films and special dance performances such as
BESETO in 2001, which celebrated the entertainment traditions of China, Korea, and Japan. In 1996, he collaborated with
Yo-yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is a French-born American Cello, cellist. Born to Chinese people, Chinese parents in Paris, he was regarded as a child prodigy there and began to study the cello with his father at age four. At the age of seven, ...
and performed at the
Suntory Hall in Tokyo, dancing dramatically to
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...
's "Suite No. 5 for Unaccompanied Cello". He directed the
Kodo One Earth Tour Special in 2003 as well as performed alongside the
taiko
are a broad range of Traditional Japanese musical instruments, Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese language, Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various J ...
drummers in 2006, as part of Kodo's 25th anniversary celebration.
Honours
*
Kikuchi Kan Prize (2009)
*
Living National Treasure (2012)
*
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Commandeur (2013)
*
Medal with Purple Ribbon (2014)
*
Praemium Imperiale (2019)
*
Person of Cultural Merit (2019)
Notes
References
External links
Bandō Tamasaburō V at Kabuki21.com*
*
KODO Beat vol. 77
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bando, Tamasaburo 5
1950 births
Kabuki actors
Japanese film directors
Kyoto laureates in Arts and Philosophy
Living people
Living National Treasures of Japan
Male actors from Tokyo
Onnagata actors
Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon
Cross-gender male actors
Persons of Cultural Merit
Yamatoya